Pursuant to the authority delegated to the Director of Headquarters Operations by the Director, Indian Health Service (IHS), on October 23, 1992, I hereby delegate to all Area Directors, for personnel within their respective Areas, including personnel in or under a regional office but excluding Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officers, the authority to:

Grant cash awards based on special acts or services, inventions, and adopted employee suggestions in amounts not to exceed $2,500 for individuals or groups (award funds must be apportioned quarterly so that no more than one fourth of the total funds are paid out in any one quarter);

Establish and grant honor awards, in accordance with Instruction HHS 451-1, subject to the approval of the Director, IHS, that are in addition to those prescribed Departmentwide, PHS and Indian Health Servicewide;

Recommend groups to the Director, IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health for cash awards for special acts or services, inventions, and adopted employee suggestions in amounts between $5,001 and $7,500;

Recommend individuals or groups to the Director, IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health for recommendation to the Secretary for cash awards for special acts or services, inventions, and adopted employee suggestions in amounts between $3,501 and $10,000 for individuals and between $7,501 and $10,000 for groups;

Recommend individuals or groups to the Director, IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health for recommendation to the Secretary for Presidential, Departmental and non-HHS awards;

Grant length-of-service recognition for service of 34 years or less;

Sign retirement certificates; and

Recommend and approve time off awards.

REDELEGATION AND RESTRICTIONS

Except as noted below, the authorities delegated in paragraph 1. above may be redelegated, with further redelegation authorized:

The authority to approve cash awards in amounts up to $2,500 may not be redelegated.

The authority delegated in paragraph 1. h. above may be redelegated with further redelegation authorized; however, the official approving a time off award for more than one work day must be at a higher level than the official recommending the award. Recommending officials are authorized to grant time off awards without review or approval for periods not to exceed one work day.

Regional Directors have been delegated the authority to grant the Regional Director's Citation to employees in or under a regional office or to individuals or organizations outside the Department.

Regional Directors must be given the opportunity to provide comments on individual recommendations that require approval by the Secretary, for Presidential, Departmental, or non-HHS awards, when such recommendations are submitted for an employee in or under the regional office.

All proposed cash incentive awards for SES members must be forwarded to the Director, IHS, who must concur prior to review by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Personnel Administration.

PHS maintains a separate Incentive Awards Program at the PHS level to provide recognition through types of awards appropriate to PHS Commissioned Officers.

IHS Personnel Office (Headquarters) has responsibility for the central administrative direction of the Incentive Awards Program within IHS.

All redelegations must be in writing and be in accordance with Instruction HHS 250-3, Delegation of Personnel, Equal Employment Opportunity Authority and Headquarters/Regional Office Relationships.

RETENTION OF AUTHORITY

The Director, IHS, retains the authority to:

Approve cash awards for amounts between $2,501 and $3,500 for individuals and between $2,501 and $5,000 for groups; and

Grant length-of-service recognition for 35 to 50 years of service;

INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

Requirements and instructions for exercising this authority are contained in United States Office of Personnel Management interim regulations, Federal Personnel Manual, Chapter 451, and Personnel Instruction HHS 451-1 (amended August 9, 1991).